• SALE
    JULY 4TH SALE
  • 0
  • Sign In
  • Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
  • PHOTOS
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen
    • Dining Room
    • Pantry
    • Great Room
    • Shop Kitchen & Dining
    • Kitchen & Dining Furniture
    • Bar Stools
    • Tile
    • Sinks & Faucets
    • Appliances
    • Tabletop
    • Cabinets & Storage
    • Knobs & Pulls
    • Chandeliers
    • Pendant Lights
    • Cookware & Bakeware
    • Tools & Gadgets
    BED & BATH
    • Bathroom
    • Powder Room
    • Bedroom
    • Baby & Kids
    • Shop Bed & Bath
    • Bathroom Vanities
    • Bathroom Lighting
    • Bathroom Sinks
    • Faucets
    • Tile
    • Showers
    • Bathtubs
    • Bath Accessories
    • Bedroom Decor
    • Beds & Headboards
    • Bedding
    • Lamps
    LIVING
    • Living Room
    • Family Room
    • Sunroom
    • Home Theater
    • Shop Living
    • Home Decor
    • Coffee & Accent Tables
    • Rugs
    • Sofas & Sectionals
    • Armchairs & Accent Chairs
    • Lamps
    • Artwork
    • Media Storage
    • Bookcases
    • Fireplaces & Accessories
    • Decorative Accents
    • Pillows & Throws
    OUTDOOR
    • Landscape
    • Patio
    • Deck
    • Pool
    • Shop Outdoor
    • Outdoor Furniture
    • Outdoor Decor
    • Outdoor Lighting
    • Outdoor Lounge Sets
    • Pool & Spa
    • Lawn & Garden
    • Pots & Planters
    • Fire Pits & Accessories
    • Outdoor Cooking
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Backyard Play
    • Holiday Decor
    MORE ROOMS
    • Exterior
    • Entry
    • Hall
    • Home Office
    • Staircase
    • Basement
    • Laundry
    • Garage
    • Shed
    • Gym
    • Home Bar
    • Storage & Closet
    • Kids' Room
    • Nursery
    • Playroom
    • Wine Cellar
    • Porch
    • Balcony
  • SHOP BY DEPARTMENT
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen & Dining Furniture
    • Sinks & Faucets
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Tabletop
    • Cabinets & Storage
    • Knobs & Pulls
    • Kitchen Lighting
    • Tile
    • Cookware & Bakeware
    • Tools & Gadgets
    • View All
    FURNITURE
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen & Dining
    • Home Office
    • Outdoor
    • Bedroom
    • Storage
    • Bathroom
    • View All
    BATH
    • Bathroom Vanities
    • Showers
    • Bathtubs
    • Bathroom Lighting
    • Faucets
    • Bathroom Sinks
    • Tile
    • Bath Accessories
    • Bath Linens
    • Medicine Cabinets
    • View All
    DECOR
    • Rugs
    • Mirrors
    • Wall Decor
    • Decorative Accents
    • Artwork
    • Pillows & Throws
    • Holiday Decor
    • View All
    BEDROOM
    • Beds & Headboards
    • Bedding
    • Dressers
    • Nightstands
    • Benches
    • Bedroom Decor
    • Lamps
    • Closet Storage
    • Futons
    • Chaises
    • View All
    HOME IMPROVEMENT
    • Hardware
    • Tile
    • Bathroom Fixtures
    • Kitchen Fixtures
    • Heating & Cooling
    • Building Materials
    • Tools & Equipment
    • View All
    LIVING
    • Coffee & Accent Tables
    • Rugs
    • Sofas & Sectionals
    • Armchairs & Accent Chairs
    • TV Stands
    • Home Decor
    • Lamps
    • Artwork
    • Bookcases
    • Fireplaces & Accessories
    • View All
    OUTDOOR
    • Patio Furniture
    • Outdoor Decor
    • Outdoor Lighting
    • Pool & Spa
    • Lawn & Garden
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Outdoor Cooking
    • View All
    LIGHTING
    • Chandeliers
    • Pendant Lights
    • Flush-Mounts
    • Bathroom & Vanity
    • Wall Sconces
    • Ceiling Fans
    • Table Lamps
    • Floor Lamps
    • Kitchen & Cabinet
    • Outdoor Lighting
    • View All
    MORE
    • Storage & Organization
    • Home Office
    • Baby & Kids
    • Home Bar
    • Cleaning & Laundry
    • Pet Supplies
    • Holiday Decor
    • View All
  • FIND PROFESSIONALS
    DESIGN & REMODELING
    • Architects & Building Designers
    • Design-Build Firms
    • General Contractors
    • Home Builders
    • Interior Designers
    • Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
    • Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers
    OUTDOOR & GARDEN
    • Landscape Architects
    • Landscape Contractors
    • Swimming Pool Builders
    • Deck & Patio Builders
    • Stone, Pavers & Concrete
    • Fence Contractors
    • Driveway Installation
    • Hot Tub & Spa Dealers
    • Gardeners
    HOME IMPROVEMENT
    • Building Supplies
    • Cabinets & Cabinetry
    • Carpet Dealers
    • Door Dealers
    • Fireplaces
    • Garage Door Sales
    • Handyman
    • Hardwood Flooring Dealers
    • Paint & Wall Coverings
    • Siding & Exteriors
    • Tile, Stone & Countertops
    • Window Dealers
    HOME SERVICES
    • Air Conditioning & Heating
    • Electricians
    • Furniture Repair & Upholstery
    • Garage Door Repair
    • Home Stagers
    • Movers
    • Painters
    • Pest Control
    • Plumbers
    • Roofing & Gutters
    • Spa & Pool Maintenance
    • Tree Services
    View All Pros View All Services
  • STORIES & ADVICE
    STORIES FROM HOUZZ
    • For Pros
    • Most Popular
    • Houzz Tours
    • Kitchen Guides
    • Bathroom Guides
    • Decorating Guides
    • Cost Guides
    • More Rooms
    • Remodeling
    • Architecture
    • Landscape Design
    • Garden Guides
    • Your First House
    • Working With Pros
    • Fun Houzz
    • Life
    • Inside Houzz
    HOUZZ TV
    HOUZZ RESEARCH
    HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
    • Design Dilemma
    • Before & After
    • Polls
    • Pro-to-Pro
    GARDENWEB DISCUSSIONS
  • SALE
      ON SALE - UP TO 75% OFF
    • Bathroom Vanities
    • Chandeliers
    • Bar Stools
    • Pendant Lights
    • Rugs
    • Living Room Chairs
    • Dining Room Furniture
    • Wall Lighting
    • Coffee Tables
    • Side & End Tables
    • Home Office Furniture
    • Sofas
    • Bedroom Furniture
    • Lamps
    • Mirrors
    JULY 4TH SALE
    Up to 80% Off
    July 4th Sale Bestsellers
    Up to 75% Off
    Ultimate Lighting Sale
    Up to 55% Off
    Kitchen Fixtures
    Up to 75% Off
    Living Room Furniture Sale
 Back to Kathryn's Ideabooks

10 Different Types of Roofs for your Home

Comment22
Becky, another regular contributor here on Houzz, recently did an idea book on The Butterfly Roof. This roof is cool, unusual and architecturally interesting. Her ideabook got me thinking about all of the different types of roof shapes that there are to choose from.

This is definitely something to keep in mind when designing and building your own home. Of course, many of us move into homes that have already been built and we have to accept the shape of roof that the home comes with. Nevertheless, we can learn to pay attention to the different benefits of certain roof types when choosing and renovating our houses.

There are many different types of roofs, which you'll start to notice as you begin to pay more attention to roofing. Many of us just think in terms of flat roofs and pitched roofs but there are many different gradations and styles of each. And this doesn't even take into consideration the different options for roofing materials (which I'll need to cover one day in a future ideabook!)

What is your favorite roof style?
Photos & Products
Traditional Exterior Duggan residence
Save Photo
1. Mansard Roof. This type of roof is made up of four slopes, two on each side of the home. The lower slope is a steeper, more vertical slope than the upper slope. The upper slope may or may not be visible from the ground. This French style of roof allows for additional living space or storage space at the top of the house.
Traditional Exterior by LDa Architecture & Interiors
LDa Architecture & Interiors
Save Photo
2. Gambrel. This type of roof is very similar to the Mansard Roof. The core differences are that the gambrel has vertical gable ends and the roof hangs over the facade of the home whereas the Mandrel Roof does not. Additionally this one is Dutch-inspired instead of French.
Modern Exterior Modern Exterior
Save Photo
3. Saltbox. This is one of my favorite roof types just because it looks so interesting from the exterior. It is an asymmetrical long pitched roof with one short side and one very long side. Often times this results in a home that is one story in height on one side of the building and two stories on the other side. What a neat design!
Mediterranean Exterior by KIYOHARA & MOFFITT
KIYOHARA & MOFFITT
Save Photo
4. Pyramid Roof. As the name suggests, this is a type of roof that is shaped like a pyramid. We see it here on two different portions of this extravagant home. This type of roof is usually used either on small portions, like this, or on small structures such as a garage or pool house.
Traditional  Maine House/Becky Harris
Save Photo
5. Hip Roof. This roof is very similar to the pyramid roof. The difference is that instead of coming to a point at the top the four sides meet at a ridge or a flat spot like we see here. This is architecturally more practical.
Rustic Exterior by Architecture in Formation
Architecture in Formation
Save Photo
6. Bonnet Roof. This type of room is similar to the pyramid roof or hip roof. The difference, as you can see here , is that two of the slides slope out an angle. The most common purpose for this is to cover a veranda or outdoor porch area.
Modern Exterior by Hanrahan Meyers Architects
Hanrahan Meyers Architects
Save Photo
7. Flat Roof. This type of roof is obviously easy to identify! The benefits of a flat roof include that it's easier to construct, safer if you're going to stand on top of it and generally more accessible. The main drawback is that this type of roof requires more maintenance than other roofs in large part because debris will gather on the roof with nowhere to go.
Traditional Exterior by Wm. F. Holland/Architect
Wm. F. Holland/Architect
Save Photo
8. Cross Gabled Roof. There are many types of gabled roofs (roofs that essentially look like triangles from the front of the home). I enjoy the cross gabled roof which is used in homes with extra wings so that each portion of the home has its own triangular gabled roof as seen in this photo.
Traditional Exterior Traditional Exterior
Save Photo
9. Arched Roof. The arched roof is typically only used on a portion of the home (as seen here) but definitely adds a great aesthetic touch the architecture of the house.
Tropical Exterior by Max Gosslar
Max Gosslar
Save Photo
10. Skillion Roof. This type of roof is a single sloping roof surface. You can think of it as just one half of a triangular roof or you can think of it as a flat roof that has been inclined slightly. It is often used on just a portion of the home. One modern architectural option is to use skillion roofing on a multi-level home to create unique shapes and patterns for the home's exterior.
Comments (22)
See 19 more comments
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
louisismael
Wow this is pretty impressive collections of roof designs and styles. Actually me and my husband decided to have Cross Gabled Roof style. Our house is a combination of contemporary and modern designs, so our architect showed us his design. at present we have hired a Memphis roofing company http://republicexteriors.com, who will make a beautiful roof for our home.
 1 Like     January 29, 2015 at 5:59PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
mohammed muzammil fathima imaniya

very useful....


 1 Like     May 19, 2015 at 8:53PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
beckdarrell

Energy efficient for new Texas home recommendations


 Like     August 8, 2017 at 1:54PM
Sign Up to Comment
Related Photo Topics
Exterior Home PicturesTimeless Exterior Home PicturesLarge Exterior Home Decorating IdeasThree-Story Exterior Home IdeasMinimalist Exterior Home Designs
  • Embed photo
  • Open Photo in New Window...
© 2022 Houzz Inc.

COMPANY

  • About Houzz
  • Houzz Credit Cards
  • Gift Cards
  • Careers
  • Privacy & Notice
  • Terms of Use
  • Mobile Apps
  • Copyright & Trademark

BUSINESS SERVICES

  • For Professionals
  • Management Software
  • For Brands
  • Trade Program
  • Buttons & Badges

GET HELP

  • Your Orders
  • Shipping & Delivery
  • Return Policy
  • Review Professionals
  • Suggested Professionals
  • Accessibility
  • Houzz Support

CONNECT WITH US

  • Houzz Blog
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS